Living The Dream

We left Isla Grande at 3:30 pm to make the 6 mile trip south to Zihuatenejo. As we entered the harbor it appeared to be everything we’d be told: Playa Las Gatas beach looked attractive to starboard as we cruised in the harbor: in 1400 AD it was walled in for royalty. Perhaps we’d check it out via dinghy. Further in to starboard we passed Playa La Ropa, named that because clothing from a pirate-scuttled galleon washed up on shore many years ago. The north end of the beach has rocks that was supposed to make it a great snorkel spot.

We approached the anchorage and were shocked to see just a few boats in the harbor. One was a Baja-Haha boat: Kamakasi, and we stopped by to say hello to Captain Patrick and his crew. We anchored east of the area off the municipal pier to avoid the panga fishing boat traffic. In speaking with Patrick, that was a big complaint as he was anchored closer to the pier, right in the panga traffic lane. He also complained about the sewage smell. We’d read in the cruising guides that the town sewer system dumps into the bay, but had no idea how bad it really is.

We landed our dinghy on the beach between the pier and where the fishing fleet goes ashore. There were always helpful Mexican hombres ready to pull the dink up on the beach. We’d tip them about $2 and they’d also keep an eye on it so it was very safe. It was later that we realized how great it was to do that, and that you couldn’t safely leave your dinghy ashore in other places.

The port captain’s office closed at 3 pm so we’d have to go by the following day. A tourist information center was next door, so I went to find a map of the town, but it was “cerrado” (closed). I saw a police hut across the street and went over to ask when the office would open the response: Never! Apparently it only opened when cruise ships came into town. Next door was a tour operator so as asked him if he knew where I could find a map, bless his heart he gave me one! It turned out I was speaking with Ismael, the guy who operates the cruiser panga service for fuel, water, laundry, etc.

We decided to investigate the fuel dock as we saw the Pemex sign to port as we entered the harbor. When we approached it was clear that the fuel dock wasn’t open – EVER. You either had to order fuel that was jerry jugged to your boat, or head north back to Ixtapa to get to a fuel dock. Ok, great.

Next, we were off to find ‘Rick’s” the cruiser bar/restaurant hangout. When we got to the address, it was a fancy restaurant with a different name. It turned out Rick had sold the place, then it became “El Faro”, later it changed hands again and the cruiser hangout is no more. We did find a cruiser friendly bar a couple of blocks away called Zorro’s with cheap beer and free wifi , across the street was an excellent restaurant owned by Daniel that serves a great breakfast and lunch. They even serve Zorro’s customers food in their bar, since Zorro’s doesn’t offer food. It’s a nice arrangement for both establishments.

The biggest problem in Z-town, aside from the raw sewage being dumped in the bay, is the tourist town atmosphere. You can’t walk anywhere without taxi drivers harassing you to hop in for a ride. Shopkeepers constantly hawk at you to buy their trinkets. Most of the bars and restaurants in town reflect gringo pricing: their pretty proud of what they offer and demand high prices. Of course, most of them sit empty of customers.

The one place that did not disappoint was once again the Mercado Municipal. Again there was a vast selection of inexpensive, quality fruits and veggies, and this time fresh ground Guerrero region coffee. Once again we had a scrumptious, economical meal and cold beers at one of the restaurants adjacent to the Mercado.

There is no VHF Cruiser’s Net in Z-town, because there are no cruisers. Maybe we are just “early” in the season, but I don’t think so. Maybe the Golden Age of Cruising is gone?